- American Airlines employees are being punished for carelessly throwing expensive wheelchairs off a plane
- A shocking video shows airline staff throwing their disabled passengers’ chairs down the ramp
- In 2022, more than 11,000 wheelchairs and scooters were damaged by US airlines
A shocking video revealed that American Airlines employees carelessly and laughingly tossed custom-made wheelchairs from a plane into an overhead bin.
In the video, taken at Miami International Airport, an employee sitting at the top of the wheelchair ramp lazily hurls the devices down the ramp, causing them to bounce off the ground.
Another employee waited at the bottom of the ramp – but made no move to rescue the wheelchair after his colleague’s reckless behavior.
American Airlines released a statement following the video of the incident, saying they were investigating and the images were “deeply disturbing.”
According to the Department of Transformation, more than 11,000 wheelchairs, scooters and other disability-accessible devices were broken by U.S. airlines in 2022.
A shocking video revealed that American Airlines employees carelessly and laughingly threw custom-made wheelchairs off the plane
In the video, taken at Miami International Airport, an employee sitting at the top of the wheelchair ramp lazily hurls the devices down the ramp, causing them to bounce off the ground
Another employee waited at the bottom of the ramp – but made no move to rescue the wheelchair after his colleague’s reckless behavior
The now-viral video was uploaded to TikTok by a user who was watching the employees.
“Damn, after seeing them do that and laughing with the first two wheelchairs, I had to film it.” “That’s not what I would call ‘careful handling’ of another person’s mobility device,” the uploader captioned her shocking video.
American Airlines officials defended the airline: “We recognize the importance of supporting the independence of customers with disabilities by ensuring the proper care of their mobility devices throughout their journey with us.”
“This image is deeply concerning and we are gathering further details so we can discuss them with our team.”
“We will continue to work hard to improve the experience of assistive technology across our network.”
People were outraged by the video – and many TikTok users expressed concerns about the price of wheelchairs: “Thanks for the recording and I hope people sue American Airlines.” “These chairs are expensive.”
Another user said: “We know our healthcare system is sooooo damn expensive.”
One post said: “These chairs cost over $3,000.” “They are not easily replaceable and insurance only covers new chairs every five years.”
In 2022, more than 11,000 US airline wheelchairs, scooters and other disability-accessible equipment were damaged
The now-viral video was uploaded to TikTok by a user who saw employees carelessly unloading wheelchairs from the plane at Miami airport
American Airlines released a statement defending the airline: “We recognize the importance of supporting the independence of customers with disabilities by ensuring proper care of mobility devices throughout their journey with us.”
Others were appalled at the staff’s lack of care for their disabled passengers: “It absolutely makes me angry.” My sister’s wheelchair is her lifeline to the able world. American Airlines, are you kidding me?’
“This is someone’s lifeline.” “Literally to survive,” one TikTok account said.
According to the Department of Transportation, airlines mishandle 1.5 percent of the mobility devices they transport.
The DOT reported that 741,582 wheelchairs and scooters were transported and 11,389 damages were reported.